The present invention relates to a janitorial apparatus for use with mops. Specifically the apparatus consists of a bucket element for containing the cleaning fluid and an inverted frustoconical shaped receptacle carried by the bucket for receiving the mop and allowing the person to cause the cleaning fluid to be discharged from the mop into the bucket without any accompanying wringing devices.
Since janitorial services are an important part of building maintenance, and particularly for hospital and nursing home maintenance, it is important to provide a mop bucket with a means of discharging the excess cleaning fluid from the head of the mop before it is removed from the apparatus for cleaning the floors.
Prior mop buckets have had a section formed on its interior from sheets of metal having openings therein and the section is wedge shaped with one of the flat surfaces being pivotally mounted to be moved by its handle toward the other flat surface with the wet mop between the two surfaces so that a normally round mop is squeezed in the rectangular sectional area and the cleaning fluid or water is caused to run from the mop through the holes into the bucket. Such device is difficult to clean and requires the use of a handle and further has the disadvantage of requiring instructions in its operation so that the person does not get caught in the closing surfaces.
Further, the operation of the lever is not done with the person in an erect stance but the person must bend over to grasp and operate the handle which causes the person back strain. Further, the apparatus has closed corners which cause the cleaning difficulty.
Other prior devices have had similar disadvantages including instability of mounting a separate mop receptacle with only three feet. They have had internal ridges which could trap particulate matter which creates an unclean environment unsuitable for use where sanitary conditions are desired.
Other prior mop head draining apparatus includes the lever type of squeezing and corners which trap particulate matter creating an unclean environment, require maintenance and the other disadvantages mentioned above.